Memorial

Vale Notices

March 2017- A very well-respected South Australian Police Officer has died after taking his own life. No further details are available surrounding this tragedy.

February 2017- Sadly the new year of 2017 has seen a number of suicides and attempted suicides within the emergency services across Australia.February 27th, The WAPOL community lost Senior Constable Lisa Cannon 13557. The funeral for Lisa is to be held on Friday 10th March 0900hrs at the WA Police Academy, Joondalup. Many who have worked alongside Lisa have paid tribute on social media at the sad loss of her short life.February 5th, A female Victorian 'Australian Federal Police' officer has reportedly taken her own life at the states Head Quarters. No further details available currently.

August 2016- Sadly we farewell another triple zero hero: Senior Constable Leigh McQuade from NSW Police, died 18th August 2016.

February 2016- February brings great sadness for all involved within the WA Ambulance, we are extremely saddened to announce the death of Paramedic Paul Oliver on February 10th. Paul recently worked in Hedland Western Australia and will remain 'In our Hearts' as a great work mate and great friend. We have no further details surrounding Paul's death at this stage. See our memorial page for a special mention of Paul.- With great sadness we announce Ambulance Paramedic Liam Bilsborough took his life today the 4th February in Toodyay W.A. Liam was recently stationed in Kalgoorlie. Our thoughts and our hearts go out to his family, friends, colleagues and all who knew this gentle lovely man.Many of us have worked with and alongside Liam, sadly we have no answers but we will remember you always "In our Hearts" Rest In Peace, you have your final 89 and goodnight.

October 2015- Sadly this month we say goodbye and stand down to a number of overseas EMT's and emergency service personnel. Sadly our colleagues across the seas have had another tragic month with too many lives lost in the U.S. South Africa and the U.K. We have all seen too many suicides, our thoughts are with you all at these difficult times. - Back home to Australia we say farewell and RIP to a young female paramedic from Geelong, Victoria. (Name not released) RIP young one. - We also say farewell to Senior Constable Simone Carroll from Victoria, SC Carroll will be laid to rest on the 20th October 2015, 1030hrs. Police Academy (main Chapel) 1 View Mount Rd, Glen Waverley, Victoria. With a gathering to remember SC Carroll at the Mulgrave Country Club, Wheelers Hill.

September 2015 - In memory of retired Police Superintendent Mr Roy Patterson.Roy passed away aged 89 on the 2nd Sept 2015 with his loving wife Tina at his bedside, his Funeral Service will be held at East Chapel, Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, 1430hrs Wednesday 9th September. You will be sadly missed by many Roy, RIP.

August 2015- Sadly firefighter, war vet and former police officer Kevin Corby will be laid to rest on 12th August 2015 at Karrakatta 1030hrs. Followed by a send off at the Herdsman.

July 2015-It is with great sadness we can report a Western Australian Police Officer has taken his life in the Goldfields on Friday 24th July 2015, our thoughts are with all involved, family, friends and colleagues. RIP Brother in Blue. Our Police Officers place their lives on the line everyday, the ongoing side effects of continual traumatic events and saddening situations can lead to various issues for those we know to be strong and proud. Consider the next time you see a Police Officer doing the job they dedicate themselves to, thank them for being the ones who choose to be there to keep us all safe. The funeral service for Scott Blanchard will be held on Thursday 6th August 2015 at Karrakatta 1430hrs

​Our Memorial Page is dedicated to those we have lost.

If you have a family member you would like remembered and honoured hereplease email us at sirensofsilence@westnet.com.au with your written permission to add images and videos of your choice.

They came. From almost every walk of life they came and joined our ranks.Teachers from the classroom, tradesmen from their benches and building sites, computing and technology professionals from behind their monitors, truckies, physios, check-out chicks and accountants, nurses, musicians and artists, from every branch of our Armed Services and from the land; they came.We stood with them. Shoulder to shoulder we worked. Sometimes sweaty, sometimes in laughter and disagreements, others in tears and weariness we shared the load. Daytime, night time, what did it matter? We were a team, together.They became our trusted friends, good mates and confidants, even at times our families spent great times together. For some of us they were our family, one whom we deeply and dearly loved; husband, wife, a son, a daughter, our parent, our partner in life.So when? When did the light begin to fade? The spark of enthusiasm begin to dim? The keen edge of that genuine concern and commitment begin to dull? That urge to learn and grow in the job, when did it start to slow down? Barely noticeable at first and cleverly disguised, we did not notice, really, at first.

We struggled to understand and we fought like mad to help, aching arms outstretched waiting to embrace and heal the invisible wounds while our heads pounded with unanswered questions! Moments of hope were bright but few and just when it seemed there was a brand new day ahead, the lights went out, darkness descended, it was over. An end for them for whatever reason and for us, a beginning and an endWe want to remember what they gave in life.We want to remember how they loved.We want to honour them for the way their lives shaped ours.We want to honour them for the fight they fought when their hope was gone.We want to give thanks for every moment, every memory, every experience of love and life with them.We want to commit to supporting each other, to listening to each other, to being bold enough to say, “I need help” before hope dies.Today, we came. We came celebrating that the Services we represent are a vital part of our community.Today we stand together in remembrance, honouring those who are no longer with us.We stand together not only to remember but also to say that there is hope, there is help and support.Take it, use it and live!

In Memory of Paul Oliver |AP1512517/12/65 - 11/02/16Here goes, it all started for me in 1971 when we first started Hatchford Infants school, Ollie and I must've got on because I was invited to his 6th Birthday party and I put 50p in his card (last of the big spenders) and so our bond was formed,we then moved up the Junior School where Ollie excelled at sports, he was good at everything he seemed to take part in and eventually played football for our year and the year above when they were short because he was better than the rest of us and then we moved onto the Senior School, Whitesmore Grammar, I mean Comp and once again even with other lads coming from several different schools he was straight into the football team, he also tried his hand at Rugby and he was bloody good at that as well and soon he was in both teams, is there no end to his talent, eventually he was picked to play for the district team where he was picked up by scouts of Walsall Football Club, he could kick the ball with both feet equally well, head the ball and throw the ball further than anyone I knew but for some reason he left Walsall and found women and beer instead, a much better combination don't you think?Anyone who knew Ollie well knew he didn't suffer fools too well and if something had to be said he wouldn't hold back no matter how important someone thought they were and I certainly copped his wrath a few times but Ollie didn't hold grudges and he'd soon have his arm around you giving you a hug, soon after we left school Ollie, Bluey, Frank and I joined The Happy Trooper football team, us young uns made up the 2nd team but it wasn't long before Ollie was in the 1st team, he was built like a brick out house even at 16 and it didn't take long before he was a regular in the team, he also played Saturday's in the Midland Combination league for the the likes of Whitesmore Old Boys, Coleshill Town and Knowle Town FC.Ollie's strong personality at work didn't always make him flavour of the month with his bosses and in his first year after leaving school he had 10 jobs which I think is still a record to this day,eventually in 1985 at the age of 18 Ollie and I decided to find our fortune in London where the streets are paved with gold or so we thought, needless to say we lasted 3 months until I phoned home and Mom told me that her friend from Birmingham, who she had spoken to that day, had moved to the Isle of Wight and that we should travel down there and work the season at the hotels so plans were made and I got in touch with my brother Glen who was going to watch the mighty Birmingham City play Oxford Utd in Oxford that Saturday so I asked him to get me 2 tickets for the game and they could take us back to Brum on their coach, Blues won 3-0 and we got a free trip home, happy days and so a few days later we packed our bags again and headed down to the Island where we ended up staying with a lovely lady called Mrs Bernhard from Sweden.We then spoke to Bluey a week after arriving and he was soon hot footing after us, I remember us going to the end of Ryde Pier and waiting for him to get off the little boat bobbling up and down in the swell of the Solent, Ollie and I cracking up, eventually he arrived looking a slightly paler shade of white much to our amusement, anyway we decided we needed a job as funds were perilously low and Ollie was first to get a job, I can picture him now with his silver suit and Chris Waddle Mullet and he came back with a big smile on his face, he'd got his dream job, KP, Kitchen Porter at the Sandringham Hotel. I went down the next day but I was after the glamour job, Silver Service waiter and I got it, Bluey decided he was going to stay in our staff house with us do a spot of cleaning for us and gamble on the horses to make his fortune, like most of his bets they started heading south and soon enough Bluey found himself next to Ollie in the kitchen, one of their favourite tricks was to throw some marmalade on the terracotta tiles, which became invisible in the kitchen, they would watch us waiters rush in with a tray full of dirty plates and slide around like Torvill and Dean much to their amusement, we had 3 great seasons away,1985-1987, we didn't have a lot of money but I can honestly say we belly laughed every night at something,we'd find ourselves in one of Sandowns 3 clubs most nights dancing and messing around, we always said we wouldn't have changed a single second of those 3 summers, special memories which will stay with all of us for all our lives.We came home at the end of 1987 and I got a job with my older brother Wade and when Ollie found out he wanted in, so we found ourselves working in London Monday to Friday and travelling back to Birmingham for the weekend, I was asked if I knew anyone else and sure enough Bluey had just split up with his girlfriend on the Island so I phoned him and asked him if he fancied it, he jumped at the chance of getting back with the boys so he quit his job that day and jumped on the next ferry off the Island back up to Birmingham ready for his big start on Monday morning but for some reason the job never materialised and Bluey ended up on the dole much to our amusement, he still hasn't forgiven me, cruel but funny.Years later when Ollie had had his fill of Alcan, Kim and Ollie decided that they were planning on immigrating to Oz, I was looking for a mate to work with and Ollie said he needed to get away from factory work so we teamed up again, it didn't take long for him to pick it up and soon he was working as if he had done it all his life,just before they left for Oz I got a new work mate in to work alongside him and asked Ollie to to teach him everything he needed to know so there was a smooth transition, Scott was a lovely lad but not the sharpest so one day Ollie had gone to fetch some sandwiches for breakfast and Scott and I got around talking about our heights and Scott told me he was 5 foot 11 to 5 foot 12 so soon as he told me this I thought wait till Ollie gets back, Ollie soon arrived with the sandwiches and I just dropped into the conversation "Scott's a big lad, tell Ollie how tall you you are, "5 foot 11ish -5 foot 12" said Scott, in a nano second Ollie was onto to him, "What the f@&k you on about 5 foot 12 you f&£King idiot" like I said Ollie didn't suffer fools too well.I've got so many fabulous memories of Ollie that I could be here for a month writing them down, I should've been a better friend whilst you were all in Oz, we should've spoke more and now I feel really guilty that I'll never get the chance to but I loved him so much, he was a true friend and I'll miss him until I take my last breath.Love Mace x

Bill Devine | AP 480JUNE 17 1963 - DECEMBER 21 2013A memorial tribute to Bill Devine AP480, sadly Bill took his own life in 2013. With Permission from his family we publish this video to remember Bill and help raise awareness of Anxiety, Depression, PTSD and Suicide Prevention within the Emergency Services.

​MARCIA VAUGHAN | AP11784MARCH 5 1978 - NOVEMBER 24 2014Today i wish to write a memory to Marcia to celebrate the life of a lost soul, a kind soul, a soul of determination, strength and above all a soul of courage so much so that at times it was her weakness. Marcia, Marcia Marcia, I use to say! Warrior to the world. Sister to me in many uniforms. A sister as a serving ADF member, a sister veteran to East Timor, a sister paramedic. A way in life which you chose to assist, above everything in life those that were in need. My sadness remains within the web that failed to catch you Marcia! as you have caught many before you! I wrote this for you! And for our serving paramedics, and serving defence members!Today I offer you my hand,A guide to being sincereOut of control life seems to growConsequential through the years,Only those who see or hear the whispers, of the world and its people,In their darkest hours, their life becomes ours,to relive the morality sequel,Tomorrow I offer you my handToday it's my tears,Out of control life seems to growConsequential throughout the years ,I'm so sorry to be writing this todayAs a memory to your life,As there were no hands, nor ears, that could grip and hear your whispers,the demons that kept you up at night.My uniformed sister, your lost soul it may have wandered,the fears you had contained many times pondered,but now they can Rest in Peace amongst others,now your safe and secure to lie with your soul sisters and brothers.Today I offer you my heartTomorrow it's my fears,Out of control life seems to growConsequential throughout the years.Stand down my friend,Your shift is over, your duty has been served,But I have no doubtYour spirit will live on,to guide others to a place to be heard,Today I offer you all my handTomorrow it's time to hear,Out of control life will at times grow,Consequential over the years.Forever in our memories MarciaLekkisha Duncan xx​